This report published by the French newspaper La Libération reviews the relationship between the Fulani and Dogon ethnic groups, who lived in traditionally complementary ways. Drawing on local interviews, the article explains the traditional roles each group played, describes the changes that occurred following the jihadist occupation and analyses the root causes of tension, which has caused escalating intercommunal violence. Read on

Guinea-Bissau, the second-smallest West African country, home to nearly 2 million people, will start 2020 with a new president. Úmaro Sissoco Embaló, one of the seven prime ministers who served under outgoing President José Mário Vaz (2016-18), won the run-off election on 29 December 2019 with 54% of the vote. His rival, Domingos Simões Pereira, head of the ruling PAIGC party, denounced the results and suggested there had been electoral fraud. He plans to contest the results and take it up with the Supreme Court. Citizens hope that the election will end several decades of political instability in the country. Embaló’s election marks the first transition of power since independence and is a big milestone in the country’s journey towards democracy. Read on

At the initiative of Germany, UNDP and the Liptako-Gourma Authority, members of the Sahel Alliance gathered on 20-22 November 2019 in Niamey, Niger for a regional workshop on the theme, “Governance and decentralisation: Vectors of peace and stability in the Sahel.” Some 30 participants coming from various administrative levels (local, regional, national) from Sahelian countries as well as international development partners discussed current decentralisation trends, problems and perspectives. Local government representatives from the three countries of the Liptako-Gourma region (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger) issued a communiqué in which they urged members and partners of the Sahel Alliance to stronger involve them. Read on

The African Governance Report, produced by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, is a rich source of information on the continent’s governance challenges. It analyses the progress that has been made in the implementation of Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the Global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Both agendas have overlapping goals, and the report analyses, sector by sector, Africa’s readiness for both agendas. Read on